I even suggested calling the police but what do you think their reaction would have been? Why are you bothering us?
I don't know what the mother does, but I have been in meetings where people have had their phones ring and/or vibrate. It is always an emergency and then they get distracted from what the meeting was about. I was in a meeting once that the client told another consultant straight out after his phone vibrated that if something is more important than this project, he was welcome to leave and they would find somebody else to work on the project. Also, many places of work have policies against cell phone use during work and you can't even have one with you.
Twelve may be a little young but by 14, a person should be able to travel alone. Also, I beleive some states have laws where kids can drive as ealy as 14.
For the sake of argument, I'll give you that mom was unavailable. There were still 3-5 parents who could have been contacted and these young ladies wait would have been lessened.
Too many folks here are giving this girls parents a free ride . . . . . . they don't deserve it for a number of reasons.
I'm sorry Benjibear, 14 is too damn young to be traveling alone as a rule. Too many hustlers, perverts, molesters in today's world. And 14, 15 year olds are not as, as a rule equipped to deal with them. But then of course, if one were to fall into the hands of such a person while riding on Amtrak, unaccompanied, it would be Amtrak's fault, wouldn't it?